UNCTAD, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and the International Trade Centre (ITC) have agreed to establish a joint training programme on industrial, investment and trade policy management. The partnership was announced on 8 March.

The programme will be based on the work of the late Professor Sanjaya Lall, who played a key role in shaping a common approach among the three organizations in the closely related issues of industrial development, foreign direct investment (FDI) and competitiveness. Prof. Lall, of Oxford University´s Department of International Development, was one of the world´s leading authorities on industrialization and technological change, all cornerstone issues in the development strategies of developing and transition economies. He died in 2005.

The programme will be aimed at training policymakers, academics, and representatives of the private sector and civil society in developing countries on formulating policies that can enhance development. It will consist of a number of modules created by the participating organizations and be tailored to particular audiences and to the needs of client countries. The modules will be taught through training workshops, distance-learning programmes and training of trainers, and will be updated annually.

The first training workshop will be held in New Delhi, India, in September 2007.